On the Day of the Race – Friday, May 3, 2024.
At around 20:00, I started to get ready. I was a bit stressed, but all was OK. We were in Silvi Paese (the old village) by 21:10 or so. My start was at 21:39.
The start went well. After 3.3 km, I made a wrong turn due to the changed course. The first rider from behind passed me. I went after him and think I passed him a bit later.
First learning: the night came, and it got colder. I had to stop for 7 minutes to put on wool arm warmers and inner gloves. Stupid. I should have done that from the start. It bothered me, as my main goal was to keep stop time down.
From there on, things went OK. My legs felt fine. But as the night progressed, I started getting sleepy and hallucinating a bit. A warning of what was to come.
It got very cold. I was freezing quite badly when I arrived at CP1. I did not want to stop to put on my down jacket. Damn, I was cold! But I wasn’t the only one. I put on the jacket (I think) and went on. About a 15-minute stop.
Warmth returned to my body.
The sunrise came, and I felt wonderful on the last two climbs out of the Apennines. It was a true pleasure – the highlight of the event. It was a bit foggy, and the jacket got wet/humid and started losing its insulation. Crap 😢. But the views and the good feeling in my body made it less of a problem.
Things progressed, and I do not have much recollection of anything until CP2.
Upon arriving at CP2, my legs were starting to get tired. I kept my arm and leg warmers on to avoid having to change later, but I removed the wool arm warmers. I also removed the Buff.
I went on and decided to recover until the next climb, aiming at around 200W and eating and drinking well. I was tired (lack of sleep tired).
Once at the climb, I was tired (the body, not the legs), and after about 1/3 up the climb, I took a power nap (first or second, I do not remember). 10 minutes of napping, 13-15 minutes of stop time in total.
Learning: once the body gets tired from lack of sleep, the heart rate cannot get up, and things are not fun. The mind starts playing games.
I felt like a new person afterward. I was positive, flying up the climb, and optimistic about the effect of a 10-minute power nap. I thought I could get through with 3 or 4 of those while keeping my total stop time reasonable – I was wrong.
I passed several riders who had passed me while sleeping, basically closing a 10-minute gap. Great! 😊
At the top, I descended a bit and went on.
The tiredness came back. I started to have micro sleep events on the bike – falling asleep and waking up when correcting to avoid falling – it was not fun 😒. I got nervous, I was cold as I could not work hard enough to stay warm (and stupidly did not want to stop to put on the Buff, another learning).
The last climbs to the 3rd CP started. I was not in a happy place. I kept taking 10-minute power naps, kept falling asleep, and could not get my heart rate up or put out enough power.
At this point, I basically decided to abandon at CP3 😢.
I arrived at CP3 around 23:00. I had thought I could make it by 21:00-21:30. Way behind the plan I had in my head.
Once at CP3, I took it very slowly. I wanted to abandon, but no car would go to Silvi until the morning, so I might as well continue. There was an inflatable mattress; I slept 2×20 minutes but woke up shaking from the cold after 30 minutes. I got up, got ready, and got on my way.
After 10 minutes, I almost hit a badger (or was hit). Made it to the top and started to descend. After about 30 minutes, I got very tired again and had to power nap. Once getting up again, the guy from Monaco passed me. I followed him, thinking he would be a good pacing partner. He was, but I had to let him go.
I was disillusioned, but I was still in the race.
At a T-junction, I could go left, stay in the race, and do a small climb before the last big one. Or right and abandon the race.
I went right.
I slow-rolled to the coast, skipping the climbs and going to Otorna, and from there to Pescara and Silvi. Still about 60-70 km from where I decided to abandon. I went very slowly, around 160W or so.
The chain started to make noise, but at this point, it did not make sense to lube it.
I passed Pescara when it got light. No cars. All straight.
It was not fun, but my legs rolled, and I was back at the hotel around 7.
The girls were not there – out playing in the sand 😊😂.
They got back, I took a shower – hallucinated in the shower.
I went for breakfast, then to the room and got some sleep. And that was it.
Afterthoughts
It is always easy to rationalize afterward. Looking at the times afterward, it was clear I could have made it in about the same time as last year. I guess.
Had I taken another 30-minute break in the lowlands when it was warmer, it might have been possible.
But that was not what I came for. I was disillusioned. And that, I guess, is a problem. I might have had to recalibrate my ambitions and just finish.
That is a learning.
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